9781422282892

7

Science and Energy

INTRODUCTION RoboBee!

Words to Understand algorithms  problem-solving computer programs autonomous  independent; self-directed etymologists  scientists who study insects forage  search for; usually, as in looking for food vortex  spinning air

N o insect is as important to farming as the buzzing honeybee. Not only do the tiny insects produce sweet-tasting honey, but they also pollinate 80 percent of all flowering crops, or nearly 33 percent of everything we eat. In the United States alone, honey- bees pollinate about $24 billion worth of crops and produce $10 billion worth of honey each year. Several years ago, beekeepers started to notice that honeybees were dying in huge numbers. Etymologists and others tried to figure out why. They concluded it was a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).